Strange Dictionary results using DY4 conversion

I needed to extract just the 4-digit year from an invoice file.  I created both an "A" and "D" dictionary item using "DY4" (called ORDER.YEAR)

It lists the file perfectly, but when I try to select using ORDER.YEAR it finds nothing:

     ex:  SELECT BILLING WITH ORDER.YEAR EQ "2019"

0 record(s) selected to SELECT list #0.

Also strange - if I add a "[" OR a "]" OR both, it works?

     ex:  SELECT BILLING WITH ORDER.YEAR EQ "[2019"  or

              SELECT BILLING WITH ORDER.YEAR EQ "2019]" or

              SELECT BILLING WITH ORDER.YEAR EQ "[2019]"

My solution was to create an I-discriptor to avoid issues in the future:

0001: I
0002: OCONV(@RECORD<29>,"DY4")
0003:
0004: NYR
0005: 4R
0006: S
0007:

My fellow developers and I could not explain this, as it must be a flaw in the back-end.

Just curious if this could be explained?

Nelson

Nelson,

First I assume this is UniVerse.

What version of UniVerse and what is the OS?

Also, What is the flavor account?  

Note that I tried to recreate the error on my laptop running 11.4.1, and was not able to recreate the issue in the XDEMO account.

I used:

>CT DICT MEMBERS ORDER.YEAR

     ORDER.YEAR
0001 I
0002 OCONV(@RECORD<10>, "DY4")
0003
0004 NYR
0005 4R
0006 S

And was able to select 1962 from the file:

> SELECT MEMBERS WITH ORDER.YEAR = "1962"

28 record(s) selected to SELECT list #0.

Can you try that on your system, and let me know what you get?

Hello Mike,

This is on Universe 11.3.1 running on AIX 7.2

The I-Descriptor works fine.  It is the "D" and "A" dict items that fail.  

EX:

0001: D

0002: 29

0003: DY4

0004: ORD YR

0005: 4R

0006: S

Nelson

Hello Mike,

This is on Universe 11.3.1 running on AIX 7.2

The I-Descriptor works fine.  It is the "D" and "A" dict items that fail.  

EX:

0001: D

0002: 29

0003: DY4

0004: ORD YR

0005: 4R

0006: S

Nelson

Forgot:  PICK flavor

I needed to extract just the 4-digit year from an invoice file.  I created both an "A" and "D" dictionary item using "DY4" (called ORDER.YEAR)

It lists the file perfectly, but when I try to select using ORDER.YEAR it finds nothing:

     ex:  SELECT BILLING WITH ORDER.YEAR EQ "2019"

0 record(s) selected to SELECT list #0.

Also strange - if I add a "[" OR a "]" OR both, it works?

     ex:  SELECT BILLING WITH ORDER.YEAR EQ "[2019"  or

              SELECT BILLING WITH ORDER.YEAR EQ "2019]" or

              SELECT BILLING WITH ORDER.YEAR EQ "[2019]"

My solution was to create an I-discriptor to avoid issues in the future:

0001: I
0002: OCONV(@RECORD<29>,"DY4")
0003:
0004: NYR
0005: 4R
0006: S
0007:

My fellow developers and I could not explain this, as it must be a flaw in the back-end.

Just curious if this could be explained?

Nelson

Hi Nelson,

This is relatively simple to explain.

Your dictionary applies a conversion to a date value which gives you the output that you want. But the selection gets applied against the real data which is a date.

Even though some date conversions let you select in external format (such as selecting for a date greater than "01 JAN 2024"), that does not apply to all conversions. In another MV product, the distinction was explained this way: You can use the external format when the conversion operates in both directions i.e. if you ICONV your external format, you get returned back to your original data value.

So, date today is 20596. Applying an OCONV (with a D conversion)  to that date value returns "21 May 2024". Applying an ICONV to that external date returns us to 20596.

But you can't do that with a year. Applying a DY conversion to that date gives us 2024, but I can't ICONV the 2024 to get back to the original date value. Therefore, you cannot SELECT the year if the year is only calculated in the conversion - but you CAN select on the year if you have calculated it in an expression.

I hope that makes sense to you.

Brian